Second Life Landlords: Measuring the Energy Use of Virtual Real Estate
You manage parcels in Second Life and want a clear picture of what your land actually costs the grid in power. Start here with the numbers that matter most.
Get your baseline numbers first
Open the About Land window on each parcel you own. Note these three values every week for a month so you see the normal range.
- Script time in milliseconds
- Prim count versus parcel allowance
- Avatar count at peak hours
Write the numbers in a simple spreadsheet. One column per week keeps the pattern visible without extra tools.
Track the main energy drivers
Script execution and physics calculations pull the most server power. Focus on these three areas that Second Life landlords see most often.
- Particle emitters left running on vendor boards
- Animated textures on floor or wall rentals
- Visitor counters that ping every avatar within 20 meters
| Item | Typical script time | Action if high |
|---|---|---|
| Rotating vendor sign | 8-12 ms | Switch to static texture |
| Live music stream object | 25-40 ms | Limit to event hours only |
| Security orb with radar | 15-30 ms | Lower scan rate to 30 seconds |
Example: 512 sqm rental unit
One landlord tracked a furnished skybox for four weeks. Baseline script time sat at 45 ms with two tenants. After replacing three spinning signs and one radar orb, script time dropped to 18 ms. The parcel used noticeably less server load during busy evenings while rent stayed the same.
Run the same check on your own parcels. Adjust one item at a time and record the new script time the following day.